Mystery Lover
by Renshuusei01
Summary: In which Slaine learns that he is Inaho's fake, mystery lover and doesn't realise that he is starting to become the real deal...
1. chapter 1

Slaine sighed and made sure to add a pout in the mix just to show his growing annoyence to his 'favorite' visitor as he was, once again, before Slaine, wasting his time.

Slaine had long since admitted to himself that it wasn't the red eyed terran boy that he had hated, at least not anymore.

Inaho Kaizuka was, as stubborn, stoic and irritating as he was, a good person. He was an idiot for wasting his time on Slaine yes, but he was damn persistent. He seemed emotionless yes, but he was only slightly, socially awkward. He had been Slaine's worst enemy yes, but he had been the one who had held his hand and fallen with him.

And most importantly, he was Orange. So, choosing the easy and giving up was just...not the way he did things.

And as much as Slaine hated that particular trait of him the most, he was also thankful for it. And somehow, somewhere along the way, Slaine had come to accept that he wasn't just getting rid of Inaho Kaizuka.

That walking calculator with an eyepatch, that prodigy with an egg addiction, that pilot in the famous Orange Kat with an inward house wife spirit, was just NOT going away.

He would always be there, with Slaine, as he lived his remaining days in that isolated prison. He would be there whenever Slaine needed someone. Even if he went away some day, his presence would linger as if he was still there with Slaine. He would always be ready for him. To soothe him as the fears that had once controlled Slaine would, again, try to reach him. He would be there to save him from that misery. Wasn't that the promise he had made after all?

Ignoring the sigh and pout, Inaho sat down on a chair in Slaine's new cell. They were having the visits in there for more privacy. Also it was a better place for Slaine with windows that actually allowed sunlight in and a private bathroom and two joined rooms. One, for sleeping and the other, for sitting around or doing day activities.

They started a game of chess but quickly getting bored, they moved on to one of Inaho's text books from the universty he attended. He would bring it when he had an assignment on it or when he had an exam coming closer.

Studying with Slaine was a great help for Inaho and a great source of entertainment for Slaine. But it looked like they would do that often. Irish was Inaho's worst subject after all.

Truth to be told, Slaine had been VERY surprised when Inaho had come in one day, saying only HE could help in as much of an overly dramatic manner as he could manage with that robotic voice and blank expression of his.

Then he had showed Slaine his exam paper. And Slaine had never laughed that hard in years and never had he, in all those years he had known Inaho, seen him fail that badly at anything.

All his sentences had been missing either subjects or objects. He had even thanked for sparkling stars in the blue eyes and the pale blond hair with the sunshine in it under a question which wanted them to describe their first love. Pale blonde with blue eyes... Must be someone beautiful if she had managed to make Inaho try to be poetic, Slaine had thought.

"Inis dom fút féin le do thoil."

(Tell me about yourself please.)

"Tá mé...go m-maith. Go...raibh maith agat le haghaidh a tha...thabhairt dom iasc."

(I am good. Thanks for giving me fish.)

"Ligean isteach é. Tá tú cosúil le bheith ina oráiste."

(Admit it you like being an orange.)

"Ís...cosúil le...sú oráiste."

(Yes... I like orange juice.)

Then they had started to study together and Slaine noted with pride that Inaho's grades had been steadily getting better and when Inaho said that his proffessor had commented on his progress, he had found himself grinning.

Watching Inaho struggle to understand as Slaine said whatever he wanted to him had been enjoyable but surely, it would be more so to have a conversation with him in Irish. So Slaine was trying his best to teach Inaho.

Also it wasn't the only subject Slaine could help him with either. Slaine was very good at biology which Inaho had to take at least in his first year but hated. Slaine had even helped him prepare a project about birds as credit work to make his grades go higher.

Besides studying, they watched movies sometimes. One day, Inaho had brought Disney movies based on fairytales.

Cinderella, The Snow White, The Beauty and The Beast, The Sleeping Beauty, The Tangled, The Princess and The Frog...

Slaine had loved each as he recalled the tales his father would tell him on stormy nights in his childhood while watching them.

And Inaho had pointed out EVERY unlogical thing and critisized the characters' ways of thinking. In the end, Slaine had stuffed popcorn in his mouth to shut him up.

Somedays, they would try things like knitting, origami and drawing.

Slaine had even knitted Inaho a neon orange scarf with a cute little orange at the corner as a joke to embrass him. But Inaho had worn it proudly all winter.

They had tried to make cranes and stupid things like that out of paper but both had failed.

Then Slaine had been surprised enough to gape when Inaho made a perfect portrait of him without even looking at his face more than a second a few times. Then Inaho had added doodle bat wings on it and gave it to Slaine. Really, Slaine hadn't imagined Inaho as an artist type.

Then they had played every table game that could be played with only two people. Surprisingly, Inaho was bad at most of it. But he had taken his revenge when he had somehow managed to convince Slaine to play some kind of game similar to poker. It was impossible to make comments about his hand with that unchanging expression of his.

As he waited for Inaho to finish writing about the most unique thing he had ever felt for his Irish writing homework, Slaine thought about the days they had spent together.

He had come to like the other boy's company after all those years of Inaho constantly returning for him and trying his hardest to understand him.

Also Slaine no longer had that grudge against Inaho. He had stopped hating altogether a while ago. Also they knew each other better and therefore could understand each other's way of thinking back when the war happened.

After Slaine had finally stopped being silent and started to actually answer his questions, Inaho started to tell something about himself in return.

Slaine knew about his life in the orphanage, his reason of having to leave there, his friends, his sister, even his childhood dreams.

And Inaho knew about Slaine's own childhood with his father, their journey to Vers, how he ended up as a servant there and everything else.

Funny that their nearly identical stories from two different worlds collided in the end, bringing the two of them together.

One day, Inaho was telling him about a school trip he had gone with his friends.

Then his phone rang. It rang again and again with incoming messages. Growing frustrated, Inaho unlocked the screen and typed a quick reply.

"Orange... did you just tell your sister not to bother you while you are out with your GİRLFRİEND ?"

"If it bothers you that much, I can tell them that you are not female. I was planning to anyway. My sister keeps choosing wedding dresses for you."

"Tha-that's not the problem here! I am not your girlfriend!"

"Yes. You are male."

"No...Not like that...We DON'T have a romantic relationship!"

"I know..."

"Then why does your sister think that I am your girlfriend?"

"Because I kept disappearing without telling them anything and in the end my sister and friends came to the conclusion of me having a girlfriend and I didn't decline."

Then his phone rang again. And Inaho, once again, unlocked the screen.

"She is asking if you prefer a Shinto wedding or a modern one."

Slaine banged his head on the table groaning.

"It is okay to not know what a Shinto wedding is. You see, it is a traditional Japanese wedding made in a shrine-."

"I know what it is Orange!"

"Then give an answer."

"What!"

"She won't stop asking unless you answer her."

"Then say that I WON'T marry you."

"Why?"

"W-What do you mean WHY?" Slaine wildly gestured himself then Inaho. And Inaho followed his hand with his eye.

"In twenty first century same sex marriages aren't really frowned upon."

"That's NOT the-... Okay." Slaine took a calming breath.

"Orange you realise that we are discussing why I don't want to marry YOU right?"

"Yes."

"And you really don't see a problem about that?"

"No."

Slaine took another deep breath. "Okay, you didn't even ask." He crossed his arms over his chest with a smug grin.

"Will you marry me?"

"WHAT?"

"You wanted me to ask." Inaho reached a hand over the table to take one of Slaine's hands in his.

"Will you grant me the honor of marrying me Slaine?"

Slaine just stared for a second.

"Uhh,... sir..." They both jumped and turned to the direction of the third voice.

"T-time... b-but I... uhh w-wait out... outside until... y-you get your an-answer."

The young guard rushed out of the room with wide eyes and a pale face.

And once again, Slaine banged his head on the table.

~o~

"Oh my god! You serious? Did he say yes?"

The next day, Slaine was sitting under a tree with his sketchbook in the garden. The three guards were standing in front of the building, watching from a distance. Or rather, gossiping, thinking he couldn't hear.

"I-I don't know! I went out."

"Wow...I mean... really... I never thought that there was something like that going on!"

"Huh? What do you mean? It was obvious! Boss is clearly in love with him! For a long time too!"

"Well I didn't think all his attention was because of THAT."

"He is right. It was rather obvious about the boss... but I hope his feelings aren't unrequited or something... It would be heartbreaking."

"It must be mutual if they got to the point of proposal."

"Well they look cute together. I think I am already shipping."

Meanwhile, Slaine tried to block out them, not wanting to hear. He would certainly take his revenge.

~o~

The next day, Slaine told him what happened as they played a pointless board game for children.

"Maybe you should just tell them that it's none of their bussiness."

"Maybe you should tell them to stop disturbing your lover."

"So you finally accept dating me?"

Just at that moment, Inaho's phone rang with a new unread message.

Slaine grinned evilly as he grabbed the phone and unlocked the screen.

"It's forbidden for you to do that."

"But, can't you make an exception for your lover?" Slaine asked with a sweet voice drained of sincerity and dodged as Inaho reached out to take his phone back. Then he read aloud.

'Nao kun... (;-;) you should invite her over... :D tell her that I would like to meet her... Tell her.. Tell her... And don't take no for an answer. Come on~ doesn't your sister have a right to meet with the beauty who stole your heart? (*-*) She must be real beautiful.'

'Ask her about Ireland. She was Irish right? Did you tell her that you were learning Irish for her? Come on Naooo~

Give some details!!!'

Slaine laughed out loud and then he grinned evilly again. Inaho had to admit that he could look very intimidating when he wanted to.

'Miss Yuki, I would like to meet you too! :) But sadly, Inaho doesn't want us to meet. :'( I don't know why! I still love him so much of course but eventhough he proposed recently, I can't help but feel like a fling sometimes...Please talk to him... By the way, I am male. I hope it doesn't affect anything :D.'

He tossed the phone back to Inaho and watched, holding back a laugh as he paled at the many new messages.

~o~

"Nao! He said you proposed! You are only 19. That wedding dress thing was a joke you know! To laugh at you! Also how can you be that cruel to him! The poor boy thinks you don't love him enough!"

"Yuki nee-"

"Don't cut me Nao. Also you NEVER even told us he was a male! Can you imagine, how insulting it is? Both for him and us! You are lucky he didn't dump you yet!"

"Yuki nee-"

"I am not finished! Does his family know about that proposal thing yet? Do they approve? Where will you live? Did you make any plans? Nao, I didn't mean 'go find a guy to propose out of nowhere and without a ring just to keep it secret from me' when I said 'go live your youth and be crazy like every other teenager' we will have a LONG talk!"

~o~

Slaine laughed at Inaho's 'sleep deprived' face as he openly glared and moved a white piece slowly without looking at the board.

Slaine made a move of his own with a grin. And that day was spent with doing their usual activities. They were sitting opposite of each other on the floor, drawing each other.

Inaho had made another perfect Slaine, this time with a pet bat standing on his arm. And Slaine had only drawn an orange with a pan of eggs in its... hand?

They both laughed and moved on to a shoujo manga with Inaho reading the female lead's parts aloud and Slaine reading the male's parts.

"Ohh Shima Senpai~ This time you will accept my lunchbox. Not hers."

"Pffft...Ahahahahahha... Or-orange... ahahahaha...I... I can't... stop... pfahahaha..."

Inaho soon started to chuckle with Slaine. He was aware of his monotone voice. In fact, he was doing it only to make Slaine laugh.

And the rest of their day was spent with studying biology and getting Inaho ready for his exams coming around.

When he didn't hear anything from Inaho by the end of the day, Slaine was sure that he wasn't going to do anything.

In the end, the guard came to tell that their time was up and Inaho got up, nodding to the guard who was holding the door for him as always. But then...

...he kissed Slaine.

It was only a peck on the cheek but Slaine's eyes widened and he jumped looking up at Inaho from his seat.

It was the first time he saw that devilish glow in that red eye. And accompanied by the smirk on his pale face framed with black hair, it sent a shiver down his spine.

"Goodbye my love."

Then Inaho was back to his usual expression and out of the door with the tense guard following after him.

Slaine touched his burning cheek after he left. Then he shook his head.

~o~

They got out to the garden together to read. Slaine was reading Pride and Prejudice while Inaho was looking at house wife magazines for recipes and taking notes near him. They were sitting under Slaine's favorite tree and the guards were in front of the building again.

Later Inaho pulled out his Irish notebook and they started to practise speaking.

After a few minutes of that, Inaho pulled out a paper from his bag and handed it to Slaine.

It was the homework he had written the other day. His proffesor had left a note after correcting the mistakes with a red pen. It said, 'I am impressed. Congragulate your tutor for me. :)" Slaine smiled to himself amd began to read it.

The most unique thing Inaho felt was... Love?

He had written about, how happy that person made him. Then how good their looks were with their pale blonde hair amd blue eyes. He was even leafning Irish just to spend some time with them while learning it. Then he had finished with how he would, one day, marry that person.

Slaine felt a tightness in his chest while reading it. He didn't really know why. But he didn't like those sentences at all.

Also he couldn't imagine Inaho that in love with someone. Who was it? Slaine wondered it all through the paper.

Then he read the last sentence.

"Bhuail muid nuair a bhí mé ag piocadh oráistí agus bhí sí amach lena bat torthaí peataí."

(We met while I was picking oranges and she was out with her pet fruit bat.)

And Slaine closed his eyes to take a few deep breaths.

Then to his surpse, Inaho started to chuckle.

"Do you like the way I portrayed you?"

Slaine set aside the paper to keep it out of harm's way. Then he picked up the book he was reading and threw it at Inaho. He tried to dodge but couldn't. Then he dropped back on his back dramatically.

A few minutes later, Slaine laid down near Inaho and they started to watch the clouds.

"That one looks like a-"

"Bat."

"No. It looks like a bird! Not a bat."

"I was calling YOU Bat. To obtain your attention."

"Ahh...Yes?"

"Would you consider a house arrest?"

"What? I don't even have a house to go even if it was possible."

"Actually it is. You have showed good behaviour for over two years. That gains you a house arrest with no direct murders or other serious crimes like rape or kidnapping... and... I have a spare room."

"Oh..."

"What do you say?"

"Don't we... need to have some kind of relation for that though? Would they release me with a stranger?"

"We can say that we are lovers...The guards can be witnesses if necessary."

"Lovers? What is your problem with dating me?"

"It is a practical excuse."

Slaine sighed.

"What would your sister say about that? I KNOW that I am not her favorite person."

"I live in my own house."

Slaine turned away from him on his side.

"Think about it... That's an option."

Later, Inaho pulled out his pen and paperwork while Slaine just relaxed.

"Sir. Time is up."

They both stood up. Inaho packed his bag and the guards came closer to escort Slaine inside.

A house arrest... How would it be? To live with Inaho... Slaine sighed...

They had only taken a few steps with the guards. Slaine suddenly turned around.

"Inaho!"

Inaho was watching him leave and he tilted his head to the side when Slaine called out to him.

"Yes."

Inaho gave a smile and nodded.

And Slaine's heart leaped.

It was probably from excitement, he told himself.

'Though, Inaho should smile more often...'


	2. chapter 2

Inaho stepped into his apartment after a disguised Slaine. The straight red wig, a black hat and sunglasses had made Slaine a completely different man.

He was wearing blue jeans, a batman shirt (which he had tried to choke Inaho with, when he had first seen it), and red sneakers with a black hoodie on.

It hadn't been so hard to convince the council which was responsible of Slaine that they were lovers. All the guards had been questioned and they all had agreed that Inaho and Slaine had a romantic relationship.

Inaho had smiled and chuckled while reading their reports while Slaine had been busy trying to find something to kill both of them with.

Later, they had arranged a suitable date to get him out of the prison. Then came finding a good disguise for Slaine. When he first wore that red wig, Inaho hadn't let him take it off all day to 'get used to seeing it' he had said but in reality, he had only liked red haired Slaine and wanted to stare a little more. And Slaine had murmured something in the lines of 'I swear Orange, ...' but he still had done as Inaho said. It was all for their plan after all. They couldn't let it go to waste as they had already started, could they?

Of course the UFE wasn't THAT easy. They had checked Inaho's house, they had questioned all the guards about Inaho and Slaine's status of relationship, they had sent a special following device more advanced from the regular ones, they had even questioned Inaho, holding him in the interrogation room for seven hours. Of course, Slaine didn't know that.

Inaho had already prepared a story beforehand though. They had loved the same girl. But she had dumped them both after using both of their affections for her own benefits. Then they had met each other and started to symphatize with each other. They had slowly liked each other and it had turned into love.

Inaho had made sure to add dreamy sighs, smiles and small laughs while talking about Slaine. He had also been a little aggrasive when defending Slaine. In the end, he had managed to convince the UFE.

That morning, Inaho had gone to the prison at dawn. The guards had put the device on and set the distance limit as 30 meters from Inaho temporarily. Then they had taken Slaine's things and left.

In the house, Slaine looked around with curiousty and Inaho watched as he took in the surroundings.

"Do you want to see your room?"

Slaine nodded and followed Inaho. Their rooms were next to each other. It was a plain room with a bed pushed against the side wall, a desk, a dresser and a small four shelfed bookcase.

The wardrobe door was open and a few outfits were visible. Also there were notebooks, pens and books around the room. Inaho helped carry Slaine's bags. Then he decided to leave Slaine to settle and prepare breakfast.

"I will make breakfast while you settle. Are you fine with eggs Slaine?"

"Y-yes."

Inaho nodded and went out softly closing the door after himself.

In the kitchen, he prepared omlettes, octopus shaped sausages, salad, toast and coffee. Normally he didn't eat that much but Slaine really needed to gain some weight.

After finishing in the kitchen, he went to call Slaine. He knocked and entered. Slaine was sitting on the bed looking at a book. He looked up when he heard Inaho entering.

"Uhh...I think you forgot this here."

Inaho looked at the book.

It was one of Yuki's photo albums of the two of them. On the page that was opened there was a picture of a seven year old Inaho wearing a suit and pouting near a seven year old Inko in a red dress. It was taken at a school dance for first graders who had just learned to read.

The next page showed a choir of small children singing at the school play. Inaho was on the front row and instead of singing like all of the other kids he was staring at the camera with tear filled eyes and a red face ready to cry.

Slaine suddenly closed the album amd held it out to Inaho after standing up.

"I am sorry for looking... I.. only opened a random page to see what it was."

He tilted his head down. Inaho took the album and lopked at the cover for a second.

"It is fine. This room was my sister's before she moved out. I think she left it here... I made breakfast."

Inaho smiled at Slaine and opened the door for him.

They sat opposite of each other at the table and started to eat.

"Inaho, is it me or does this toast look like a bird?"

"It is a duck. Animal shaped bread is for children but you like birds right?"

"Yes."

Slaine smiled and put more butter on the toast. Inaho silently pushed the plate closer to Slaine as he tried a bite out of the ducks wing.

Then he took a cat shaped one, then a cow, a dog, a mouse, a butterfly, a crocodile and a giraffe. He tried guessing what each one was and Inaho confirmed him while watching him grin like a kid and play with the toasts before eating them. It turned out that he had been right. Children's food was a good way to make Slaine eat more than usual. He smiled silently to himself, sipping his coffee while Slaine tried to make the dog toast stand on its feet with a deeply concentrated look.

After the breakfast, Inaho started to wash the dishes and Slaine helped by drying and putting them on their place, learning where to find them as an extra.

Then they went to the sitting room and Inaho changed the settings of the following device on his ankle. Then Inaho opened a cupboard under the TV stand and returned to the couch near Slaine with three albums including the one Slaine had found in his room.

He wanted to show Slaine that it was okay for him to see those and he trusted him.

The first page of the first album showed a small girl around five or six years old holding a baby.

Then there was one of a two years old Inaho playing with colorful bricks. He had chubby cheeks arms and legs. And it looked like the adults around him were trying to play with him but he wasn't looking at any of the offered toys, focusing on his tower.

Then there were a series of photos showing a girl around eight years old and a toddler Inaho. Inaho wasn't looking at the camera in any of the pictures and it looked like the girl was trying to make him.

The next photo showed a four or five years old Inaho sitting on the ground and eating ice cream. All his face and hands were covered in the melted substance and it was dripping on his cute teddy bear t shirt.

Then there was a group photo taken in front of the orphanage with 25 or 30 kids and a few adults. Inaho was looking at the ground and holding Yuki's hand. He was the smallest of the kids.

Then there was a picture of a twelve years old Yuki and a six years old Inaho in front of the sea. There was snow and Inaho was cocooned in a thick coat and a red scarf. He had a wool hat with pom-poms. Yuki was wearing thick socks and a skirt with a pink coat on. She was holding Inaho's shoulders and hugging him to her side while he stood stiffly.

The next one showed Inaho in a school uniform holding a bag and crying. There were a few other people walking around. It was taken in front of the school building.

"You look so unhappy."

"It was my first day of school. When my sister handed me a big bag filled with my lunch, my coat, a bottle of water and my favorite toy with crayons, I thought she was leaving me forever. I thought school was something like another orphanage and Yuki nee was leaving me there because she didn't want to take care of me anymore. I cried all day and didn't even talk to the teachers."

"Uh...When was this photo taken?"

"Before Yuki nee left for her own school in the morning."

"Did you get used to school easily?"

"No. I already knew how to read and write and some maths too. The classes were boring for me and bigger kids were picking up on me because I was small and silent. Also teachers liked me a lot more than them."

"I am sorry... It is hard right?... Me and my father traveled a lot so I never stayed at the same school for more than a few months. He taught me at home and I was alone too..."

"I didn't mind being alone that much..."

Inaho turned another page and they kept looking at the photos. When they finished all the albums Inaho put them away again.

"You, were a cute kid."

"Cute? I don't think so..."

"Well, you looked like the overly clever, psychopathic, small kids from the horror movies but... You were cute."

Inaho smiled and thanked him.

"W-why are you looking at me like that?"

"You still have the wig on."

Slaine's eyes widened. He raised a hand to touch his hair. Then he pulled a strand and the wig fell on his lap.

"Orange! Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"...It suits you."

~o~

Weeks pased with Inaho and Slaine spending their days together and slowly falling into a routine.

Inaho would go to his lessons in the universty three days a week and he worked from home. The UFE hadn't given him hard duties as he already looked after Slaine.

He would work in the mornings for a few hours so he had taken afternoon classes. So he would come home in the evenings and Slaine would have food ready as he liked to cook and learned quite a few different recipes.

Inaho would wake up early in the morning and finish most of his paperwork by the time Slaine woke up. Then he would continue working on either them or his assignments from the universty until he had to leave for classes. So he would be free all evening to spend time with Slaine.

On the days he didn't have classes, he would be free all day and they would do housework, study or do anything that came to their minds together.

On one of the days that he didn't have classes, Inaho and Slaine were sitting on the floor with Inaho's books opened around them when Inaho's friends called.

"...No...Calm I can't...Sorry...Date?...Not excatly a date but... yes... yes I am spending time with him... Yes... Thanks... Okay... Goodbye."

"You should spend time with your friends too."

"Yes but I don't have to accept it EVERYTİME they call me out. Besides it would be suspicious if I spend as much time as before with them when I have a perfect boyfriend, right?"

"I am NOT your boyfriend."

"But they think you are."

"But I am not."

"Tell that to my friends." Inaho said while flipping a page. But he suddenly raised his head to look at Slaine.

"Or don't. They would think that you dumped me and try to cheer me with a giant party or something like that."

Even the mere thought of a loud, crowded party was enough to make Inaho shudder.

"They will think that anyway. They are your best friends but they never met your boyfriend. Maybe you should hire one of those actors to be your boyfriend for a day."

"No." Inaho said scoffing.

"Why? I mean, your friends can be deceived some way but what about your sister?"

"I already sent her a picture of you in that diguise. Also I told all of them that you are very shy and don't like to meet that many people all at once and-"

"Wait. Did they really believe that? Isn't it illogical? I mean why would an overly introvert teen go to a foreign country which he can't even speak the language of correctly, all alone and with foreigner strangers swarming around? Also how would he manage to be the boyfriend of one of the most popular guys around there?"

"I know that but they don't. Since I am always logical, they believe everything I say."

Slaine opened his mouth to answer but Inaho's phone cut him with a new message notification. Inaho unlocked the screen then he inspected it for a few seconds.

"Look at this Slaine."

He showed the phone to him. There was the picture of two suits. One black and one white. The white one had a bouquet of flowers near it and the mannequins were holding hands.

"My sister asks if you like it. She is trying to understand your style before seriously starting to look for suits."

Slaine gave Inaho a look.

"Personally, I don't like it. But my sister asked for YOUR opinion."

Slaine gave him another look.

"That black one would go better with a bowtie not a normal tie."

"Orange!"

"Yes. It could use orange details since it is for us... but I would change those flowers for white and purple bat flowers if we add orange."

"No! Not that orange. You!-"

"Yes."

"Are you seriously considering that! We won't need suits because we are NOT getting married!"

"I know... I will tell her that you didn't like it." Inaho answered quietly.

Then he typed an answer and tossed the phone away.

After studying a little more, Slaine got up to go to the kitchen, saying he would make food.

Inaho nodded and laid down on the couch after putting his books away.

He sighed and opened the gallery of his phone.

Locked Folder:

Wedding Suits (1463 media)

Slaine (2312 media)

He opened the second folder. The last photos he had added were all Slaine in red wig. Before that there were several photos of Slaine in blue prison clothes, smiling, laughing, eating, holding a book, drawing something, tying his hair, looking at the chess board with a concentrated face, moving a piece, holding game cards, lying on the grass of the garden, watching a movie from Inaho's laptop,... In all of them, Slaine was looking away or around.

Inaho was startled when he heard Slaine shouting from the kitchen.

"Inaho! We are out of salt! Can you go buy some quickly!"

Inaho quickly locked the screen and Slaine entered the living room just then.

He was wearing a frilly apron and holding a spoon. He would make a nice picture like that, Inaho thought.

Slaine showed him a package.

"This brand is the best. Buy this."

"Okay. I will go buy it now."

He got up and went out after taking his keys and wallet.

~o~

Slaine started to mix some eggs, sugar amd milk in a large bowl with a spoon. Then he heard the door opening. He went out to the living room with the bowl and spoon.

"That was rather quick Inaho. Can you-"

He stopped, nearly dropping the bowl when he saw the woman staring back at him.

Yuki Kaizuka.

His eyes widened as they stared at each other.

"Y-you are..."

Yuki grabbed the vase on a table near her.

"What are you doing here!?"

She backed away a few steps amd held the vase in front of herself in a defensive manner. But Slaine knew that she could easily turn offensive.

"Answer me!"

Slaine blinked a few times at her. He couldn't say the truth.

'I was the one your brother described as a boyfriend all along. I am now living in his house with him. Forgive me for shooting him before.'

No. That would only end up with that vase smashed on his skull.

"I-"

Just then the front door clicked open.

"Slaine, I couldn't find the brand you said but there was this other one-"

Inaho entered the room with shopping bags in his hands.

"Ah. Hi Yuki nee. I assume you wanted to make another surprise visit."

"Nao what's happening? Why is HE here?"

Inaho put the bags on the flopr and walked near her.

"Yuki nee why don't you sit down and give that to me?"

"N-nao! Why are you so calm? H-he..."

Inaho looked at Slaine and he understood immediately. He ran back into the kitchen and shut the door.

A surprise visit. From Inaho's sister. It couldn't be any worse.

Slaine left the bowl on the counter and sat down on a chair. He could already hear screaming.

~o~

"What do you mean he lives here!?"

"He is on a house arrest Yuki nee."

"Then why is he HERE?"

"Because he is my boyfriend."

"WHAT! You are dating with HİM?"

"Not really I-"

"Nao! How could you? He was the one who shot you! He-he..."

"Yuki nee."

"Nao you nearly died!"

"Yuki nee."

"Nao! He started a war! He tried to assasinate the Empress! He shot you! You lost your eye because of him! How-how could you love someone like him?"

"YUKİ NEE!"

Yuki went silent when Inaho raised his voice. He never lost his composure. It was scary to see him like that.

"Look Yuki nee..."

Inaho took a deep breath and held her hands before starting to talk silently.

"Slaine didn't assasinate Seylum. He didn't start the first war. He only broke an armistice. Seylum said those things to make the people that all the culprits were captured. She didn't have to make him a scapegoat but she chose the easiest way."

Yuki wasn't believing him, Inaho could tell.

"He shot me yes. But it was war. I shot him too. In fact I shot him first when there was no reason to. He had even helped to defeat Hellas. He suffered torture because of me. He always thought I was the bad guy who held Seylum captive."

Yuki sighed.

"That still doesn't explain the boyfriend thing."

Inaho glanced at the kitchen door amd sighed.

"We spent too much time together and...once you get to know him, he is great...he understands me Yuki nee. I don't have to use words with him. I don't have to pretend with him. He just understands. And we have many things in common...I can't tell whrn it happened and I know I can't describe it but I love him."

"Nao you-"

"I love him."

Yuki sighed and put her head in her hands. Inaho leaned back on the couch and they just sat there like that for a few minutes.

Then Inaho suddenly stood up.

"I will go check up on him. He must be scared."

Yuki raised her head a little but didn't say anything.

Inaho opened the kitchen door and stepped inside. Slaine was sitting on a chair near the table and looking down.

"Slaine..."

Slaine jumped and looked up at Inaho.

"She didn't hit you or something right?"

Slaine silently shook his head. Inaho went to sit near him on another chair.

"She was surprised. It is probably my fault... I told her that my boyfriend was over to stay a few nights and we planned to move in together... I was planning to tell her the truth in a different way though..."

"I am...sorry...Inaho you two will fight because of me...I-"

"Don't think that... It's not your fault..."

"No...It's just...she was... she was afraid of me...she looked at me like I was... I was a monster...I just...Who am I fooling Inaho? I am a mass murderer... I started a war... I shot you... She was right...She was-"

"No she wasn't. She acted without knowing your side of the story."

Slaine let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head.

"Let's face it Inaho, you are the only one who will ever try to understand me. Everyone else knows that it is a waste of time. You are the only one who doesn't accept that... Inaho just... just send me back into the prison and live your life...Please I... I am destined to be alone... I am already dead."

Slaine covered his face with his hands, already shaking with sobs. So Inaho moved his chair closer to his and gently pulled Slaine's hands away from his face.

"Slaine you are not dead. You are here. You are with me. You will always be with me. You will never be alone."

Inaho wrapped his arms around Slaine's thinner body and pulled him to rest his face on his chest.

Slaine silently cried for a few minutes with Inaho's arms around him, all the bad memories surfacing.

Then Yuki opened the door silently. But Slaine didn't seem to notice her as he trembled, trying to hold in wails. Inaho raised his head to shake it and gestured her to go away with one of his hands. Then he lowered his head to look at Slaine again when Yuki backed away. But neither Slaine or Inaho noticed that she didn't leave.

"I-Inaho please... P-please... she-she is.. she is your family... Y-you... no one can be more... more important... th-than her...sh-she was the one... wh-who raised you...You should... not... f-fight... bec-because of me... just send... send me back... I... I am...dead...You can-can't...Please...You should live... your... your life..."

"Slaine-"

"I...I already.. h-hurt you enough..."

Inaho held him tighter.

"I hurt you too...You have scars all over you...because of me...You had helped us that day... if I hadn't shot you down, those rebels wouldn't find you...they wouldn't torture you...I ruined your life...But you still forgave me...Those are behind us now..."

"G-go live your life... You Orange!... Wh-why do you have to...have to b-be so stubborn!"

Slaine pulled away from him and looked at Inaho's face with his own tear streaked one. Amd Inaho raised a hand to touch his cheek and wipe away the tears with his fingers.

"I want YOU to be my life Slaine."

He held Slaine's hand with his other one.

"You are important to me. I want you to be there with me...I want you to be happy with me...Slaine I... it hurts to see you like this."

Thdn he sighed trying to desperately choose the right words.

"I am not good with this feelings and talking thing... But.. but you always understand me anyway...You look at me and see me... Not the Orange Pilot... Not General Kaizuka... Not the man I am expected to be... Just plain, simple me... And you never judge me for it..."

Inaho looled at Slaine's face searchimg for a sign to make him stop amd when he didn't find any, he continued.

"And you are the first one I really want to understand. You are the first person I feel close to... You are the first person who managed to make me laugh wholeheartedly. You are stronger than me... You are more intelligent than me...You are complicated... But somehow it doesn't scare me... Because I can see that... that you are just like me... You are the first person who made me realise that I am not alone...You are the first person to make me feel like this..."

Inaho lowered his head, not trusting himself to look at Slaine's face as he said the next part.

"I don't know when... when that simple attraction deepened... But... stangely enough, I wanted it to... I knew it would hurt... if you refused me... truthfully it would kill me... and I was a coward... that's why I liked that fake boyfriend thing that much... because I wasn't brave enough to ask for the real deal... But...I... you shouldn't feel that bad and be sad... maybe I can... I can make you happy just like you made me sithout even realising it yourself... Maybe I can't... at least not in the way I want... But I... I am tired of running away and watching from afar as you break down...So..."

Inaho took a deep breath and looked at Slaine. He held both of Slaine's hands in his own. And seeing he didn't make a move to get away he proceeded to talk.

"Slaine Troyard, will you date me?"

Slaine looked, dumbfounded at his face.

"I promise, I will do anything in my power to make you happy and loved. I will show it to you in every way I can... I... I will never hurt you or let-"

Slaine cut him by hugging Inaho again and Inaho felt him nodding with his face pressed in his chest and still trembling like a leaf in his arms. Then he heard Slaine's muffled talking.

"I don't know if... if I feel the same... but... but I want to be selfish... I am afraid of being alone in that cold place... If you get... get bored of me... you eill send me away anyway... and everyone already thinks we are dating so...so what is there to lose, right?... But Inaho..."

Slaine took a deap breath.

"I will try...I will try to be worthy of you... and...and return those feelings... If I can't, please don't get mad at me... you are the first person to ever make me truly happy too..."

Then Slaine gave him a small smile with red, puffy eyes.

But every kind of smike suited him, Inaho thought. He looked perfect no matter what. His boyfriend...

Inaho returned the smile.

He would make Slaine the happiest man alive and make sure that he would never have to look into those red and puffy eyes again.

He would mke sure that his blue eyes always sparkled with all the love and joy in the world.


End file.
